Pilot Studies

Question 1

● What is a pilot study?

Answer 1

A small-scale trial run of the research

Question 2

● What is the purpose of a pilot study?

Answer 2

To identify and fix problems before the main study

Question 3

● When is a pilot study carried out?

Answer 3

Before the main study

Question 4

● What does a pilot study test in an experiment?

Answer 4

Standardised procedures and design

Question 5

● What does a pilot study test in a questionnaire?

Answer 5

Clarity of questions

Question 6

● What does a pilot study test in an interview?

Answer 6

Wording and order of questions

Question 7

● What does a pilot study test in an observation?

Answer 7

Behaviour categories and coding systems

Question 8

● Can a pilot study help identify extraneous variables?

Answer 8

Yes

Question 9

● What is one advantage of pilot studies?

Answer 9

They help improve internal validity

Question 10

● What might a researcher do after a pilot study?

Answer 10

Amend the procedure or materials

Question 11

● What is checked during a pilot study?

Answer 11

Whether tasks and questions are appropriate

Question 12

● What should the researcher ask participants after a pilot?

Answer 12

Feedback about their experience

Question 13

● What is meant by ‘standardised procedures’?

Answer 13

Same instructions and environment for all participants

Question 14

● What is a task in a pilot study?

Answer 14

The activity participants complete

Question 15

● What is an extraneous variable?

Answer 15

A variable other than the IV that affects the DV

Question 16

● Should data from a pilot study be analysed?

Answer 16

No, it is not used for final results

Question 17

● What is the aim of a pilot study?

Answer 17

To test feasibility and improve the main study

Question 18

● Why are pilot studies useful in observations?

Answer 18

To check observers can record the behaviours

Question 19

● Why are pilot studies useful in questionnaires?

Answer 19

To find ambiguous or misleading questions

Question 20

● What is the outcome of a good pilot study?

Answer 20

A more valid and reliable main study

Question 21

▲ Why conduct a pilot study before an interview?

Answer 21

To ensure questions are understandable and effective

Question 22

▲ How can a pilot study improve an experiment?

Answer 22

By identifying issues in timing, instructions, or design

Question 23

▲ Why use a pilot study for a questionnaire?

Answer 23

To test clarity and remove confusing items

Question 24

▲ How does a pilot study improve internal validity?

Answer 24

It ensures procedures measure what they intend

Question 25

▲ Why might a researcher amend their coding system after a pilot?

Answer 25

To make behaviour categories clearer

Question 26

▲ How does a pilot study support reliability?

Answer 26

It checks if tasks can be repeated consistently

Question 27

▲ Why is a pilot useful for timing?

Answer 27

To see if participants have enough time for tasks

Question 28

▲ How does a pilot identify ethical issues?

Answer 28

By revealing any distress or confusion in participants

Question 29

▲ Why might researchers revise a task after a pilot?

Answer 29

It may be too easy, hard, or confusing

Question 30

▲ What happens if problems are found in the pilot?

Answer 30

The study is revised before the main research

Question 31

▲ Why is participant feedback important in a pilot?

Answer 31

It helps identify unclear parts of the procedure

Question 32

▲ How does a pilot study reduce the risk of experiment failure?

Answer 32

By identifying and resolving problems early

Question 33

▲ Why is a pilot study not used to test a hypothesis?

Answer 33

It focuses on design, not results

Question 34

▲ Why might an observation need a pilot study?

Answer 34

To ensure all relevant behaviours are captured

Question 35

▲ What is one benefit of pilot studies for self-report methods?

Answer 35

They help identify ambiguous wording

Question 36

✪ Why should a researcher not draw conclusions from pilot study data?

Answer 36

It is only for refining procedures, not hypothesis testing

Question 37

✪ How do pilot studies increase the internal validity of research?

Answer 37

They ensure procedures measure the intended variables

Question 38

✪ Why does piloting standardised instructions improve reliability?

Answer 38

It ensures all participants receive the same information

Question 39

✪ How might skipping a pilot study affect internal validity?

Answer 39

Undetected problems could cause inaccurate measurements

Question 40

✪ Why are pilot studies essential for observations with behaviour categories?

Answer 40

They check that behaviours are clearly defined and observable

Question 41

✪ What is a limitation if a pilot study is not conducted?

Answer 41

The main study may have flaws that reduce validity

Question 42

✪ Why are pilot studies especially useful in new research areas?

Answer 42

They allow for refinement where no prior method exists

Question 43

✪ How can a pilot study improve ethical practice?

Answer 43

It helps anticipate and avoid participant harm

Question 44

✪ Why is replicability checked in a pilot study?

Answer 44

To confirm the method works consistently

Question 45

✪ How can feedback from pilot participants improve the main study?

Answer 45

It highlights unclear or problematic parts of the procedure